Method of making disposable tooth-brushes



Nov. 11, 1958 J. F. DUNN METHOD OF MAKING DISPOSABLE TOOTHBRUSHES Filed March 25, 1953 Ha. Z

F/a4 a United. States Patt METHOD OF MAKING DISPQSABLE TOOTH- BRUSHES James F. Dunn, Chicago, 1]].

Application March 25, 1953, Serial No. 344,623 2 Claims. (Cl. 300-21 This invention relates to a method of manufacturing sanitary, disposable toothbrushes. 1

The conventional toothbrush is an expensive toilet article which ordinarily is designed to last for a considerable length of time, the user employing theibrush once or several times daily over a period of weeks or even months. It is well known that most dentifrices do not have germicidal properties. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite is true in most cases. Thus, a conventional toothbrush which has been restored to its place of rest after use usually contains bacteria and germs in used outside of the users home, it is usually carried ina toilet kit or suitcase and becomes subject to exposure of more foreign material upon which germs and bacteria may exist. It is also highly likely that the traveler may even forget to pack a toothbrush at all and hence must neglect cleaning his teeth while away from home or must buy a new toothbrush to be used in the conventional and unsanitary manner.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a method of manufacturing a plurality. of cheap and simple disposable toothbrushes, each of which is designed to be used but once by the owner and then discarded.

Because of the fact that a disposable toothbrush must necessarily be inexpensive because of the large number required by each user, it is a further object of the invention to provide for a rapid and simple method of manufacture of such toothbrushes in which sheets .or blanks of handle material continously formed have brushing material disposed longitudinally adjacent one edge thereof, the individual brushes then being formed by cutting completely through the brushing material and at the same time partially cutting in lateral strips across the original prepared blank or sheet.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 shows one form of my disposable toothbrush packaged in a transparent sanitary package and ready for dispensing;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the toothbrush illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the body portion of the toothbrush illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial view of an elongated blank ready for cutting along the dotted lines to produce the individual toothbrushes shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a part of an elongated blank similar to that shown in Fig. 4 ready for die punching along the dotted li e lines as indicated to produce another form of disposable toothbrush;

Fig. 6 is a side view of an individual brush as cut along dotted lines from the blank in Fig. 4 and before beveling any of the edges thereof;

Fig. 7 is still another form of my brush in which the individual resilient body portion is constructed of a concave strip of material;

Fig. 8 is another form of surface configuration of the resilient body, the handle being cut away in part; and

Fig. 9 represents a form of handle extension on my disposable toothbrush which bears an instrument for picking the teeth, the remainder of the brush being cut away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I first prepare a blank from which individual toothbrushes will subsequently be cut, the blank being indicated generally by the letter B as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The blank B is constructed of a sheet of stiff material 10, the sheet being composed of such material as wood, cardboard, plastic or the like, and a strip 11 of absorbent material which will be water resistant and resilient. That is, the material must not soften to an excessive degree but still must have the capability of absorbing and holding a moderate amount of water. Further, the material should be resilient enough not to scratch the enamel of the teeth or injure the gums but at the same time should not be so resilient as to be ineffectual in cleaning the surface and the crevices between teeth. I have found that the material known as -spun nylon in a resilient and matted form is ideal for my purpose. Nylon is a plasticmaterial which is a superpolymericamide of protein-like structure. It is understood that any other material having the above properties may be similarly employed. It is requisite, of course, that the substance does not dissolve in water and that it be capableof sterilizing and preservation during its shelf life after manufacture and before being sold to the ultimate consumer. 11 may be formed of strip stock having a generally rectangular cross section and preferably provided with ribs 12 such as may be-observed in Figs. 1, 6 and 7. If so desired, the rectangular cross section may be further modified with a longitudinal concave trough to form the cross section shown in Fig. 7. The ribbed portions 12, of course, assist in cleaning the teeth and amount to a surface formation simulating the bristles of a bristled toothbrush. The strip 11 is of uniform width and is secured adjacent and in parallel relation, or coincidental,

with one side edge of the thin elongated sheet 10. When thus positioned the outer edge at the body portion of the individual toothbrush is disposed at 13, the inner edge 14 of the bodyis disposed in parallel relation with the outer edge 13 and the handle end portion of the sheet B forms. a'parallel edge 15 at the opposite side. The strip 11 may be secured to the upper surface of the sheet 10 in the position noted by such means as adhesion through acoating material or by a heat seal. In any event, the seal between the strip 11 and the sheet 10 should be strong and water resistant. Since the brush ultimately formed is to be disposable after a single use, it is not requisite that the seal be entirely and permanently waterproof. The sheet 10 is preferably formed of wood but may be constructed of any other thin and reasonably stiff material.

The blank B is now brought into engagement with cutting means (not shown) which will cut the blank B in equally spaced parallel cut lines transversely to the longitudinal direction of the blank B. It is understood that the cuts may be formed simultaneously in a plurality of positions or may be consecutively formed one at a time from the endmost position. Each brush which has been cut from the blank B will have the configuration Patented Nov. 11,1958.

The strip ,2 shown'in Fig.'6,"the sides 1 6 of the body 17 being coextensive with the sides 18 of the handle '19.

An alternative form of toothbrush product formed r m a im a la i lust s in. i husw sre so desired a' single" or multiple die may be empio I punch out the. individual brushes on the dotted'lin as shown, he ?man" l e mp e y a'e lqssthe bia a B as shown' in Fig.4; In the case' of the 'die punch oiit" there will, of course, be some wastestock resulting from the die operation 'I he re is, however, more 'fiek ibilityqin.

the die cut in that the'forward end i f the handle and bodyportion can be cut in a curved tlineia'sshown' at;2,0, and the oppositeend of the handle portion may bejcut out in a toothpick zl without further steps in th'e'm'anufacture of the I individual brushes. Here 1 again ,the" die operation may'be a consecutive movement with the blank I B progressing one 'spac e 'at a'time' to 'f oirn 'the individual toothbrush,for"apluralityof the diernen bers may ci t out, a prescribed numberjof the toothbrushes in each putting movement. Where the die" is used, the bevel "zia's'j shown iF s 2 n 3 m ey'be dr ed d n f e. ut ng wer tion. I It is understood, o f course, that t he bev el ma y be attained by, other means such as touching the underside of the handle to a grinding or'bevelingfinstrument well known to the art. Since the latter requires a separate. operation, it is preferredto accomplish the beveling of the edges in the same operation which cuts thetoothbrush' from the blank B." Details of 'theftoothpiclcend 21 are 'shown in Fi gQ 9. The pointed" end 21 can be formedeither by punching as a die cut point or by subsequently-shaving down the handle 19 of the individual brush as .cut from the blank shown in Fig.4. An alter;- native form of surface irregularityon the resilient strip 11 is shown in the brush body 22 of Fig. 8. Here the surface configurationconsists in a plurality of points 23 which may individually take on the pyramidal shape as shown. I plished as previously noted. The points 23 will have the advantages of being able toenter crevices between the teeth regardless of the direction of motion employedby the user in brushinghis teeth. V I Either before or afterlthe cuttingof the individual toothbrushes from the prepared blanks B the resilient;

and absorbent strip 11 is preferably impregnatedwith dentifrice. This dentifrice may be in liquid forni-in' order to impregnate the seals o1", fibers of the brush may 17, after which theliquid vehicle may be evaporated so;

as to leave the body 17 in a dry or almost dry condition.

Although dentifrice may be applied to the brush at thet'iine of using, it is preferred to preliminarily impre'gnatdth body so" as to form an entirely self-contained toothbrush, ready -'for' use without any other preparationonthe part of theuser. The toothbrush after formation may be sealed in a sanitary condition within a sack'or' In some instances, L

container 24 as shown in Fig. 1. may cut blocks of individual toothbrushes at spaced.in-

tervals along the blank B and merely score or partially' The rest of the brush formation may be accomcut between the individual brushes comprising each block. In such case, the'user will purchase a block of individual brushes and will i 'break off along the scored line each individual brush at the time of use.

My brushes may be dispensed in drug stores, hotel lobbies, transportation depots, vehicles such as airplanes or trains, hospitals, and in ,countless other private and public places, either by clerks or through mechanical dispensing equipment. When a purchaseradesiresttoiuse the brush, he merely removes-the sanitary container 24, wets the body of the brush with ,afewdrops of water and then proceeds to clean his teeth in the ordinary manner. Immediately after usage,.he. .disposes of the brush and will take a new one when he. again desires to clean his teeth.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention. '3 V WhatIclaimis: I I

1. A method for making a plurality'oi? disposable sanitary toothbrushes from a sheet of relatively stifi and: thin material and an elonga ted .relatively narrow strip; of resilient and absorbent material which consists bringing the strip into engagement with one surface" the sheet marginally thereof, sealing the engagingisur faces between the strip and sheet surface, cutting at longitudinally spaced narrow [intervals transversely, through the strip and at the same time partially into the exposed. surfaceoffsaid sheet across the width thereof to produce easily severable lines. I i l-A m he ilfm: m p a t -fi p 'li sanitary toothbrushes from asheet of relativeiy thii i a (if stiff material and anelonga ted relatively narrow st'r resilient and absorbentmaterial which consists .in, br nging 'the strip into engagement with onesurface oflt'e sheet marginally thereof, sealing the engaging surfaces betweenv the strip and sheet surface, cutting t'r'ans've in a plurality of narrowly spaced parallel jcutS t the strip and at the same time eontinuingto cut into exposed surface of the sheet across the widtliithe ,I in scorelines forming straightly aligned continua ons of the respective spaced parallel cuts. l i

' Renam C itedl'in the, file ofthis patent J UNITED STATES PATENTS, Horsey Jan. 21,

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